Refrigeration system



Aug. 13, 1935. MOORE 2,011,296

REFRIGERATION SYSTEM Filed April 25, 1932 Patented Aug. 13, 1935 7 REFRIGER TI N TEM Marion R;. Moore, Atlanta, Ga,, assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of one-third toG. L.

Emerson, Atlanta, Ga., and one-third to Bryan M. Blackburn, Newnan, Ga. i

. ApplicationApril 25, 1932, ,seriar ys eomivi l "9Claims. (o1; ca -125) This invention-relates to mechanical refrigeration, and it has for its general object the provision of a system particularly adaptedto be installed in apartment buildingsfln which a phi- 5* rality of evaporators locatediat different places,

orpndiiferent floors, are intercalated ina single system, inasmuch as the system of the present invention ,avoids'the fllSfiyOf a{ compressor in the building and the consequent annoyance to the n occi1pants, from: noise and vibration incident to its? operation, but it also provides .a hermetic conduit, of whichvtheevaporating coils, form, a part in which the, refrigerant ismai ntained below atmospheric; pressure so that any; possible leak- 'age willibe intoandinotqoiltOil he yst m, he

by; thegeyentof leakage, the-refrigerant will not, 'escape into the room ;;atmosphere.

Still 1 another;- object, of-the invention is the provisionof' a refrigerationsystem in whichthe imthe building; is in heat, exchanging: relationship, for condensation purposes, with; a refrigeration system of, any'desired type located outsideof the buildinafor exampleonthe-roof describedin automatic selective a, connection with hermetic-conduit includin the; evaporators, .with-;

I, that is tosay, the partwhich preferably ex; tendsabovethe roof, is connected 'GO.3, tank 6 Whichas-will presently be described, functions asa condenser, The stand pipe, I aswell as the evaporatorslare maintained filled with lique- 5;,

fied refrigerant whichnormally stands atan intermediate, level in the condenser tank 6. The stand pipe. and the condenser tank are lagged with a layer 'Lof insulation.

In performing their, cooling function, the 10;

evaporators 4 cause the liquefied refrigerant therein to boil, the vaporized refrigerant rising in bubbles through thecolumniof-liquid-in the, standpipe I and through the -bodyof liquid refrigerantinthe tankfG, being condensed in said 15;: 1 tank. Inorder to determine alowboiling point for the refrigerant, it is. preferred to maintain a vacuum initheatmosphereabove the liquid column. This israocomplishedby means.of afitting 8 adaptedto be connected toa suitable vacuum pump, ,andagagemis shownlby means of which the degree of vacuumimayi be ascertained. The vacuum havingnonce been produced, is perpetuated by sealingthefittingfi, i i

A; further object, of the ,invention is. the pro-. vision ofithe hermetic-ally sealedconduitashabove condensers of ;d issi mi1ar,typesyone includingz 4 heat;, xchan i a lem t. o m nsipart, of a, re-- ,f I GIa I Y system-and, t e other, an: atmos h r c condenser. r 1 A Otherlje tss fti g myenti w appea as the following descri ti nQo-f' a, preferred and,

practical; embodiment thereof: proceeds,

, n eraw awwh ompani s ndiforms a p toftheiolloyving specification, the soleflgure is;a:diagramm atic representation of,-a,refrigera 61.011 :systemv such as thep es ntinve tion nt mp tes; n :-whi h' may beconve i n lyreio v erred t as a; unle involves in iismoreasnecifrc concept two refrigrati ni systems interlinked ,so that the c 11 densinge1ernent of'the one is in heat exchanging relation: with the evaporativer element of the 45, )1 other,; whereby; the -volatilizedrefrigerant iscondensed in theone system without the direct, in-

strumentality of a. compressor.

positionsand on the several floors said coils constituting the, refrigerating elements of the 5 refri erat rs? The nnamed oiling and .2 199 sy t m: since it in fa The stand: pipe,- evaporating coils and oondenser, tank form a closed" hermetically sealed conduit. forvthe refrigerant in which the refrigerant iswalwaysr maintained below atmosphericpressure. In consequence the possibility of leak age is minimized since there is no internal pressure, and forthe same reason, should through accident, aleak occur, theleakagewill be into .the system and not out of it, so that there will,

be no-escapeof the fumes into the; atmosphere of the building. The refrigerating system represented by the evaporators, stand-pipe andcondenser tank isv characterized by thefact, of the totalabsence ofacompressor, adapting it, ideally for apartment house servicein view of the free-. dom of the system i from, thenoise and vibration incident to the use of a compressor.

The primary system thus far; described, is interlinked with, a secondary refrigeration, sys-- tem of any approved type and, preferably located on thereof, said, system maycomprise as compressor l0 and a motor llafor running the same, a, condenser l2, a reservoir I 3 for the liquefied refrigerant, and an-evaporating coil I4 to which the refrigerant is admitted through an expanasuthe heat interchanging element for ffecting condensation of the refrigerant in the hermetic system.

The motor H is controlled by suitable means such as the sylphon actuated switch I! operating responsively to a thermostat l8 located in the condenser tank 6.

The location of the secondary refrigeration system on the roof places it entirely outside of the inhabited portion of the building and removes all objection to the use of the compressor and to possible leakage of the gaseous refrigerant under the pressure which the compressor generates.

The operation of the interlinked or duplex refrigeration system is obvious. As the refrigerant boils in the several evaporators 4 and the height of the liquid column within the hermetic system diminishes, a point is reached where the thermostat i8 is warmed to the point where it actuates the sylphonic switch ll to start the motor H and put the secondary refrigeration system in operation. This cools and condenses the gaseous fraction of the refrigerant in the primary system restoring the column of liquefied refrigerant to its normal height. When this has been accomplished the thermostat l8 has been cooled to the point where the sylphonic switch operates to stop the motor ll and the secondary refrigeration system becomes inactive.

In some climates the winter temperature on the roof is sufficient to recondense the refrigerant without the assistance of the secondary refrigeration system. In such climates, it is preferred to provide an auxiliary air condenser l9 connected to the stand pipe I by means of a conduit Ell and selectively automatically placed in communication with said conduit by means of a valve 2i controlled bywa thermostat 22 responsive to atmospheric temperature. Normally, that is to say, in the summer time, and Whenever the air temperature is insuflicient to produce the requisite condensation, the valve 2| is in closed position with respect to the air condenser so that the refrigerant in the primary are merely exemplary and intended to illustrate a broad principle, and that they are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention as claimed.

' What I claim is:

1. Refrigeration system comprising a primary.

compressorless refrigeration system including a substantially vertical stand pipe and a plurality of evaporators connected into said stand pipe at different levels, a condenser tank with which the upper end of said stand pipe communicates,

, said stand pipe, evaporators and condenser tank forming an hermetic unit filled with liquid refrigerant up to an intermediate level in said tank and a secondary refrigeration system comprising an evaporator located in the condenser tank of said primarysystem and constituting the condensing element of said primary system, and

means responsive to temperature conditions in said primary system for periodically activating said secondary system.

2. Refrigeration system comprising a primary compressorless refrigeration system including a substantially vertical stand pipe and a plurality of evaporators connected into said stand pipe at different levels, a condenser tank with which the upper end of said stand pipe communicates, said stand pipe, evaporators and condenser tank forrning an hermetic unit filled with a liquid refriger-- ant up to an intermediate level in said tank, and a secondary refrigerating system comprising an evaporator located in the condenser tank of said primary system and constituting the condensing element of said primary system, and means responsive to said temperature conditions in said primary system for periodically activating said secondary system, said primary system with the exception of said condenser tank being adapted to be housed within the habitable space of a building and said secondary system including the condenser tank of said primary system being adapted to be located outside of the habitable space of said building.

3. Refrigeration system comprising a primary compressorless refrigeration system including a substantially vertical'stand pipe and a plurality of evaporators connected into said stand pipe at different levels, a condenser tank with which the upper end of said stand pipe communicates, said stand pipe, evaporators and condenser tank forming an hermetic unit filled with a liquid refrigerant up to an intermediate level in said tank,

a secondary refrigerating system comprising an evaporator located in the condenser tank of said primary system and constituting the condensing element of said primary system, means responsive to said temperature conditions in said primary system for periodically activating said secondary system, an air condenser connected into said stand pipe, and means responsive to atmospheric temperature changes for selectively shifting the communication of said stand pipe from said condenser tank to said air condenser, said primary system with the exception of said condenser tank being adapted to be enclosed within the habitable space of a building, said secondary system and said condenser tank and said air condenser being adapted to be located outside of the habitable space of said building.

4. Refrigeration system comprising a primary compressorlessrefrigeration system including a substantially vertical stand pipe and a plurality of evaporators connected into said stand pipe at different levels, a condenser tank with which the upper end of said stand pipe communicates, said stand pipe, evaporators and condenser tank forming an hermetic unit filled with a liquid refrigerant up to an intermediate level in said tank, the pressure in said primary system being less than atmospheric pressure, a secondary refrigerating system comprising an evaporator located in the condenser tank of said primary system and constituting the condensing element of said primary system, means responsive to said temperature conditions in said primary system for periodically activating said secondary system, an air condenser connected into said stand pipe, and means responsive to atmospheric temperature changes for selectively shifting the communication of said stand pipe from said condenser tank to said air condenser, said primary system with the exception of said condenser tank being adapted to be enclosed within the habitable space of compressorless refrigeration system, including a l substantially vertical stand pipe and'a plurality of evaporators connected into said stand pipe at different levels, a condenser tank with which the upper end of said stand pipe communicates, said stand pipe, evaporators and condenser tank forming an hermetic unit filled with liquid refrigerant up to an intermediate level in said tank, and a second refrigeration system comprising an evaporator located in the condenser tank of said primary system and constituting the condensing element of said primary system, the pressure in the primary system being below atmospheric pressure.

6. Refrigeration system comprising a primary compressorless refrigeration system including a substantially vertical stand pipe and a plurality of evaporators connected into said stand pipe at different levels, a condenser tank with which the upper end of said stand pipe communicates,

, said stand pipe, evaporators and condenser tank forming an hermetic unit filled with liquid refrigerant up to an intermediate level in said of said primary system and constituting the condensing element of said primary system.

7. Refrigeration system comprising a single stand pipe for refrigerant, evaporators at different levels connected to said stand pipe to receive liquid refrigerant therefrom and to discharge gaseous refrigerant thereinto, whereby the contents of said stand pipe constitutes an aerated column, the degree of aeration contributed by each super-located evaporator diminishing the weight of the head of said column on the sub-located evaporators.

8. Refrigeration system comprising a single stand pipe for refrigerant, evaporators at different levels, a single pipe connecting each evaporator to said stand pipe for receiving liquid refrigeranttherefrom and discharging gaseous refrigerant thereinto, whereby the contents of said stand pipe constitute an aerated column, the degree of v aeration contributed by each superlocated evaporator diminishing the weight of the head of said column on the sub-located evaporators.

9. Refrigeration system as claimed in claim '7, including a condenser at the top of said stand pipe and a secondary refrigeration system having the evaporator thereof in heat exchanging V relation to said condenser, the pressure in said stand pipe being maintained at less than atmospheric pressure.

MARION R. MOORE. 

